


Icarus Is Saved

by All_Hail_Queen_Freddie



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: 1d6, Babygate (One Direction), F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Harry Styles Has Social Anxiety, Harry is gay, M/M, OT5, Reunion Fic, and Briana, and by back i mean back in the band, but is mostly straight, eleanor is in this a little, ellen - Freeform, hs2, icarus falls, liam figures out he's bi, liam's untitled album, louis is gay, louis' untitled album, nh2, niall is a surprise lol, probably more later - Freeform, zayn is pan, zayn's back
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-10-04 01:56:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 11,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17295500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_Hail_Queen_Freddie/pseuds/All_Hail_Queen_Freddie
Summary: zayn misses the boys, especially liam. liam realises he's in love with zayn. louis wants to kiss harry in public (and vice versa). harry wants kids. niall wants to bring the group back together.orthe fix-it fic nobody asked for





	1. the fall

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter is going to be pretty short, sorry guys.

PROLOGUE  
ZAYN

 

Zayn had hit rock bottom. He was on way too many drugs and was drinking way too much alcohol. And he didn't know what to do. Well, that's not true. He knew what he needed to do, but he didn't want to do it. He didn't want to text Liam. He knew it would open a can of worms. And that can of worms included the other boys and Zayn's feelings toward Liam. and those were both things that he never wanted to have to think about again. But on the other hand, he missed them all. He hated it, but he did. He regretted leaving from the second he signed his solo contract. It was an even more toxic environment. And he missed his best friends.

So he texted Liam. Because he knew he should. He sent him the song. Good Years. And exactly three minutes and twenty seconds later, his phone started ringing.

An old picture of Liam balancing a cookie on his nose back in 2013 filled up the screen as his phone vibrated and almost fell off the nightstand. Zayn sat up in his way-too-empty bed and picked up the device. By the time he had decided to actually answer, the time to do so was almost up.

"Hey, Liam."

"Where are you?" he asked. And, god, Zayn had no idea he missed Liam's voice that much.

He frowned. "In New York. In my apartment. Why?"

"I'm coming out to see you."

Zayn's breath caught in his throat. "No. No, you don't have to do that."

"I'm already looking up flights."

Zayn stood up and quickly started cleaning up his awfully messy bedroom. "Liam, really. I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me."

"Z, I know you." No one called him Z anymore. "I know you aren't okay. Just give me a few hours and I'll be over there, and we can figure this out."

"I can take care of myself, you know," he tried to argue, but he knew Liam wasn't easily persuaded.

"I'm aware." Zayn could almost hear him nod. "But when you write music like that, I'm not sure being alone is the best idea."

"Liam, come on."

"I just found a flight that takes off in an hour. You still live in the same apartment as last year, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be there early tomorrow afternoon."

Zayn sighed in defeat. "Alright."

<•>


	2. the wings

1  
LIAM

 

As soon as Liam listened to Good Years, he knew it was time. He'd known for a while that they needed to work on getting the band back together, but this was definitely a sign. Unfortunately, that meant he'd have to confront his growing feelings for Zayn sooner than he wanted to. In fact, he didn't want to ever. It would just screw things up. But Zayn needed him. So that's how he wound up taking an 18-hour flight to JFK.

He only did two things on the flight: think about Zayn and write music. He wasn't really one to write lyrics, but this whole situation was inspiring. By the end of the flight, he had written five different songs and had come up with a few possible melodies.

Liam tapped his foot impatiently as he waited in line at a drink shop. He happened to pass by it and saw that they had Zayn's favourite smoothie. Thankfully, his beanie and sunglasses were hiding his identity for the most part. He had seen some people's wide eyes but was extremely appreciative when they gave him a small knowing nod. Apparently, at least a few people understood.

When he finally made it to Zayn's apartment, it was just about 3:00, an hour later than he had planned. There were no paps out, making it easier for him to be buzzed inside. When he made it to the top floor, where Zayn lived, he took a deep breath and knocked.

Zayn yanked the door open and attacked Liam with a hug that almost knocked him and the smoothies over. Liam just chuckled and returned it. "Come inside, come on!"

"Found your smoothie," he said setting it down on the shiny white countertop in the kitchen. Zayn's apartment was surprisingly spotless. That didn't seem like him at all.

"Oh my god, thank you! You didn't have to do that. And, again, you really didn't have to drop everything and fly here. I mean, you don't even have a bag."

"I figured I'd just buy some stuff tonight. And I can get a hotel room just down the street."

Zayn shook his head and took a sip of the smoothie. "No, you can stay here. I've got another bedroom down the hall."

Liam smiled and nodded. "We've gotta talk about this. What were you feeling when you wrote that song?"

"I don't know, I was just feeling like I missed you guys."

They sat down on Zayn's couch a couple feet away and Zayn let out a big sigh. "I really miss you. All of you. But I know fences probably can't be mended at this point, so I have to figure out some way to deal with that."

"Zayn," Liam started, but he just cut him off.

"It'll be fine, don't worry about it."

Liam groaned and leaned his head back against the fake leather of the sofa. "Z, you know they're gonna forgive you, right? It may take a while, but they never wanted you out of their lives. We never really wanted you out of the band, but we knew that's what you needed."

"What do you mean 'it would take a while'?"

"I mean," he sighed, "I want you back in the band." Zayn's eyes went wide. "I can't speak for the other guys, but I have faith that they would let you back in. In fact, we could call them over right now."

"Who do we call first?"

"Niall."

<•>


	3. the glue

2  
NIALL

 

"Payno!"

"Niall, I need you to get on a flight to New York now, can you do that?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "I guess. Why? Is everything alright?"

"Sort of."

"Come on, man. Tell me what's going on."

There was a deep sigh and two whispering voices before Liam finally said, "Zayn needs us."

Something clicked in Niall's brain just then. All the times he and Zayn stayed up all night to talk about how much they missed their families, all the bags of takeaway they shared in the same bunk on the tour bus, all the tears Zayn shed over Liam: it all came rushing back to him. "I'm on my way."

He didn't care that Zayn hadn't spoken to him in two years. He didn't care that they weren't on good terms. He really didn't care that he had a date that night. None of that mattered until he knew what was going on with Zayn. He had always been an independent person who never really needed help. Even when he did, he didn't know how to ask for it. And Zayn rarely ever came to him for anything when they were in the band together. He always went to Louis or Liam first, so this definitely meant something big.

He sat through the eight hour flight just thinking it over, and even writing a few lyrics down on his phone. He also didn't try as hard to disguise himself as Liam had. It was clearly an emergency if he had to fly out so fast, and he couldn't worry about anything else.

Walking through the airport was a stressful situation. As he hadn't informed anyone that he was even leaving Ireland, Niall didn't have any problems with paparazzi or even fans. No one was really expecting to see Niall Horan strolling through JFK on a Sunday.

Once he was out of the building, he shot Liam a text asking where he should go. And just a few minutes later he responded with, "Zayn's place." An address was attached as well, thank god. Niall had never been to Zayn's apartment.

"Hurry inside, we can't let anyone see you," Liam said, rushing to bring Niall inside when he made it to the complex.

"Calm down, there's no one around downstairs. Where's Zayn?" Niall stepped in the apartment, surprised, just like Liam was, that it was fairly clean. Zayn was always the second-messiest in the band, right after Louis.

"He's still asleep. This whole thing has taken a toll on his sleep schedule apparently, so he's been sleeping since about 6 p.m. last night."

"But it's almost 10. You mean to tell me he's been sleeping for 16 hours?" Niall's eyes went wide and he leaned on the countertop.

"Yeah. He's not doing well."

"Are you gonna tell me what's happening, yet?"

"He misses us, the band." Niall took a shaky breath. "And he wrote this song. It's heartbreaking. I teared up listening to it." Liam handed him his phone and a pair of earbuds.

Niall's facial expression said everything. As he listened to the song, he started to cry and worry was covering his face. He carefully took the earbuds out and sniffled a bit before saying, "What do we do?"

"We call the other boys, obviously."

"Li, 'd you make coffee yet?" Zayn asked as he walked in. he stopped in his tracks when he saw Niall.

"Hey, man."

They met halfway in a bear hug just like in those awful romantic movies. "Thank you," Zayn whispered.

"For what? I've only just got here!" Niall laughed into Zayn's neck.

"For coming all the way over here. You didn't have to."

Liam chimed in, "He said that to me, too."

And then Zayn was crying. So Niall cried more.

"You know what comes next."

Zayn sighed at Liam's words. "Is there a chance I won't get yelled at?"

"Of course. I'd say it's a pretty large chance. But that doesn't matter. It's time, man."

In that moment, Zayn fell even more for Liam. Being in the same apartment really brought everything back, but the way Liam was looking at him hit him even harder. "I know."

Niall nodded. "Let's call Harry."

<•>


	4. the ocean

3  
HARRY

 

“Is that _your_ phone?”

Harry jumped up out of bed. “Yeah, sorry. Forgot to turn the sound off last night. Huh, that’s weird,” he said as he saw the name and picture pop up on the screen.

“What’s that?” came the other voice.

“It’s Niall. He almost never calls me. We just text. You, Mum, and Gem are the only people who ever call me.”

“Just pick up the damn phone, Haz.”

“Right, yeah.” He held the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he pulled some pants on. “Hello?”

“Harry? Hey, we need to talk.”

“Is everything okay?”

“It will be when you guys get here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“How soon can you get to New York?”

“Niall, you’re scaring me. Please just explain a little bit more.”

“It’s about Zayn. Liam and I are already at his flat in New York, and we really need you and Louis here too.”

“Is he okay?”

“Just get here, please.”

Harry didn’t have time to respond because Niall hung up. “Lou!”

The smaller but older man came rushing into their bedroom. “Yeah? Is Niall alright?”

“Yeah, but we kind of need to go to New York City.”

“Why?”

“I don’t really know. He just told me a part of it.”

Louis stepped closer to his boyfriend. “Baby, what’s going on?”

“Apparently something’s up with Zayn, and the boys need us to come over there.”

He sighed, “So Liam and Niall are already there?”

“Yeah. I think we should go,” Harry mumbled.

“I do, too. Zayn will always be part of the family, no question. But I have to film the X Factor today.”

“Okay, well, we could fly out there when you’re done?”

Louis shook his head. “Too risky. Someone could see us together. You go ahead and catch one now. I’ll make arrangements for Evie and Cliff, and then I’ll meet you there at some point tomorrow.”

Harry nodded and kissed Louis once on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Now pack a bag. Who knows how long we’ll be there.”

<•>

“Liam, I don’t even know if I have the right building. I’ve never been here before.”

“Come through the back door so no one sees you. I guarantee you have the right building because I can see you standing on the sidewalk from the window.”

Harry chuckled and hung up. He walked around to the back and hoisted his duffel bag up higher on his shoulder. When he reached last flight of stairs before Zayn’s flat, he paused.

He was about to face Zayn again after not speaking for three years, and he was not ready. But Zayn needed him. And that was more important. A flashback to all those years when they were best friends ran through his mind and he started to cry. Just as he remembered the last real conversation he had with Zayn, his phone buzzed in his hand.

 **Liam:** You coming?

He typed out a quick “yes” and held his thumb over the send button for a good thirty seconds, thinking about what was behind that door.

_“Z, this changes everything. You know that, don’t you?”_

_“I know. And I’m so sorry. But I just can’t do it anymore.”_

_Harry sniffled, tears forming in his eyes. “We only have one year left, though! If you could just stick it out one more year, one more album, then we could all go--”_

_“Harry, you know I can’t do that.”_

_There was a long moment of heavy silence. “I know. What’s gonna happen to us? Our friendship?”_

_“I don’t know yet. I haven’t signed the contract because I’ve been waiting to tell all of you, but it does say that I’m supposed to at least pretend that I don’t talk to you guys. And I can’t be seen with you. Ever.” Zayn took a ragged breath and coughed to try and cover up the fact that he was crying now, too._

_“How much longer do we have with you?”_

_“A couple weeks.”_

_Harry exhaled slowly. Zayn knew what he was trying to do. He wanted to be strong and not cry. He wanted to pretend everything was okay. But it wasn’t._

Harry wiped a tear off of his cheekbone and sent the text, knocking on the door at the same time.

Niall opened the door and frowned at Harry’s tears and red nose. “H, you alright?”

He shook his head, “I’m fine. Just got a bit emotional for a mo’.”

“Harry?” a voice called from inside.

Another tear slipped down his face and he stepped into the flat, giving Niall a quick side hug. “Z-Zayn?” he stuttered. His emotions were already getting the best of him.

When Zayn appeared from a corner of the kitchen, the dam broke.

Harry dropped his bag on the floor and brought both hands up to his face to cover the red splotches he was already experiencing as he sobbed.

“No, no, no, Harry. Oh my god, don’t cry, please! What’s wrong?” Zayn ran up to him and almost hugged him, but he wasn’t sure if it would be accepted.

_“You aren’t even going to finish out the tour?” Louis yelled._

_“My god, Lou, is that all you care about?” Zayn shouted back._

_They continued screaming until Louis noticed Harry. “Haz, are you alright?” Tears swam in his eyes and he had stuffed himself in a corner of the hotel room._

_“‘M fine. Just… Why does all of this have to happen? Why did we have to get stuck with the worst contract in the world? If we would’ve gotten to do all this our way, then Zayn wouldn’t have to leave.”_

_“Harry, there’s nothing I can do now. It’s a done deal.”_

_He nodded. “Then I guess this is goodbye. For good.”_

Harry did a small nod, and Zayn took that as a yes. Strong, tan arms wrapped around his middle that hadn’t been there in years. And that just made it worse. He couldn’t find it in himself to move his arms, so he just stood there, enveloped in warmth, as he cried. Loudly.

Liam and Niall knew exactly what to do. After years of Harry getting pushed to tears, whether it was because of his anxiety or because he got too overwhelmed or because of the drama with him and Louis, they all learned what he needed. So Liam quickly dialed Louis’ number and Niall started on some tea just the way he liked it. When Louis answered the phone, Liam handed it to Zayn who held it up to Harry’s ear. As soon as Louis heard Harry crying, he tried to calm him down.

“Haz, baby, it’s okay. Everything’s okay. Tell me what’s going on,” he said as he rushed through the airport to find a private place to talk to his boyfriend.

“I c-can’t,” Harry said quietly.

“Were there too many fans? Or paps? Did anyone harass you on the way there?”

He shook his head and then realised that Louis couldn’t see that. “N-No.”

“Was it seeing Zayn?”

“Mm-hm.”

Zayn looked down, half in shame, half in worry.

“Okay, just breathe with me, baby. What do you need right now? Is there anything I can do?”

“No, just want you here. Just keep talking, please.”

“I promise, I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m actually about to leave the airport. I was able to get a quick flight. Just gotta catch a cab to Zayn’s. And I didn’t bring a bag since you brought enough clothes I think.”

Harry was already cooling down a bit. Louis was always able to help with that.

“How are you now, darling?”

He nodded again. “Better.”

“Okay, I love you baby, and I’ll be there soon.”

“Love you, too.”

<•>


	5. the sun

4  
LOUIS

 

 _Fuck, now I have to hurry even more_ , Louis thought as he rushed through the airport. Harry’s old Packers beanie and some sunglasses kept him from being too recognisable to the general public.

He made it to Zayn’s in a little over half an hour, which really shocked him, seeing as he was always late and thought it’d take him maybe an hour at the least. Unlike Harry, he didn’t have a breakdown moment at Zayn’s door. He just knocked as if he were going to see a family friend.

“Louis! Hey!” Niall said happily, opening the door to let him in.

“Neil! How’ve you been?”

“Not bad.”

“Lima!” he shouted and pulled both of them in for a hug. “It’s great to see you guys.”

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Liam asked.

“I’ve got to be, don’t I?” he sighed.

Niall nodded solemnly.

“But first, where’s the love of my life?”

The other two boys smiled softly and gestured to one of the bedrooms. “Bit of a warning,” Liam started, “he and Zayn’ve been cuddled up ever since he got here.”

Louis nodded. “‘M not surprised. Hope Zaynie won’t mind me stealing my boy from him,” he teased.

“Well, go on then. They’ve been waiting for you.” What a loaded statement.

He took slow steps to the bedroom and opened the door slowly. “Knock, knock,” he said.

Zayn was the first to look up. He grinned. Harry still had his head buried in Zayn’s shirt and didn’t notice Louis walking in at first. He stepped closer to the bed, startling him slightly.

“Hey, baby,” Louis whispered.

Harry immediately jumped up into Louis’ arms and squeezed him tight. “Missed you,” he mumbled.

“I missed you too, Haz.” He kissed Harry’s forehead and turned to Zayn. “How long has he been like this?”

He sat up against the headboard. “Just since we called you, about an hour.”

Harry pulled away from Louis only to take his hand and drag him to the bed. He forced Louis to lay down first so that he could curl up on top of him, just the way they both liked it.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Zayn, don’t bullshit me. What’s going on?” Louis asked as he pulled a throw blanket over him and Harry, who was still wearing his shoes for some reason.

“I know you probably don’t want me back… but I miss you guys. I miss making music with you.”

“First of all, what makes you think we don’t want you back?”

“I don’t know, you guys just seemed so happy without me, and Made In The A.M. is an amazing album. You clearly don’t need me.”

Louis shook his head, and Harry whined at the sudden movement. “It’s not the same without you, Z. I’ll be completely honest, making that last album was nowhere near as fun.”

Zayn scoffed. “Come on, mate. You all looked so much happier in those last few interviews.”

“Because we were done. We were out! But believe me when I say that we wanted you there. We always did. And we weren’t really One Direction without you,” he added.

They all turned when they heard two quiet raps at the door. “Hey, lads,” Niall smiled, stepping in. “I think we need to have a talk.”

<•>


	6. the heat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i changed my mind. this one won't be longer, sorry. it's short for a reason, though

5  
ALL

 

“Last time we had one of these, we didn’t leave Niall’s house for 36 hours,” Liam said as he met with the other boys in the kitchen. “And we slept a total of maybe 3?” 

Louis let out a big breath. “Lads, we’d better make ourselves comfortable. We’re gonna be here for a while.” 

They moved some furniture so that they could all sit on the living room floor facing each other. Harry, of course, leaned up against Louis’ torso and sat between his legs. Liam and Zayn sat pretty close together, which was a bit surprising to the other boys. Niall was already speculating. 

“First things first, Harry and I don’t really know what’s going on. So, can someone fill us in?” 

Liam handed Louis his phone with the earbuds. Louis’ facial expression went stony as he listened to Good Years, and Harry’s was just plain unreadable, which was almost unheard of for him. 

When Louis handed the phone back, he cleared his throat and said, “Alright, so how are we getting the band back together?” 

“What?” everyone but Harry asked in unison. 

“Well, no offense, but I still want to put my album out, and I know Liam probably does, too. Zayn’s obviously gotta put out his second album now that he’s got this amazing song. And Haz and Niall, you guys need your second albums, too. But once those are all done, I’m thinking we could do 2020 like we planned.” 

“Lou, are we hearing you right?” Niall asked. 

“Yeah, I mean, we talked about it a few months ago and accidentally leaked that tour date, so let’s do that! The fans are already expecting it now, so we’ll start working on getting a contract together. For all of us.” 

Zayn was in shock. “To be completely honest, I thought this conversation was going to go a lot differently. I just don’t understand how all of you are so okay with me coming back.” 

“Zayn, we love you,” Liam said, making Zayn’s heart beat out of his chest. “We’re more than okay with it. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’d absolutely love to have you back.” 

Niall raised his hand. “I second that.” 

Harry took a sip of tea and said, “Third.” 

Louis nodded in agreement. “We were always meant to be a five-piece, not four. I think that’s part of why we worked so well. I know there are still some fences that need mending and everything, so why don’t we start now?”


	7. the album

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long! i'm finally on the downhill slope of my schoolwork, but updates still might take a while. thank you guys for being patient!

6  
TIME SKIP

MARCH 2019

 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“Lou, calm down.”

“I can’t, babe. So much is happening today.”

“I know, but if you just take a deep breath and maybe come get some tea, or--”

“I don’t have time!” Louis interrupted, putting a frown on Harry’s face.

Harry sighed and took the kettle off of the stove while his fiancé hopped around the house with one shoe on. He grabbed Louis’ travel mug from their white cabinet and poured the Yorkshire tea into it, making sure to put a pit of sugar and milk in as well.

“D’you know where my phone is?” he asked from the hallway as he laced up his shoes.

“On the counter.”

He rushed over and slipped the device into his pocket, careful not to drop it yet again and add even more cracks to the screen.

“You’re not leaving without your tea,” Harry said, metaphorically putting his foot down.

Louis walked around the island and gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek as he grabbed his tea.

“Uh uh, I don’t think so,” Harry scolded.

Louis let out a singular laugh and stood up on his tiptoes, which was uncomfortable with his Vans, to give Harry a real kiss. “Good?”

Harry nodded.

<•>

“And today we have Mr. Louis Tomlinson to talk about his new album! It’s been a minute since we’ve seen you here hasn’t it?” the interviewer asked him. Louis couldn’t for the life of him remember her name. He’d been too nervous to pick up on anything but the fact that she had just addressed him live on the radio.

“It has, it has. Been working hard.”

“Now, there’s been some drama surrounding you and your family during the lead-up to this long-awaited album.” Louis nodded, already expecting the topic. “After three years of being a father, it came out in the press that maybe that wasn’t entirely accurate. So what happened?”

“Erm, well, it’s all a bit complicated. I was under the impression that, uh,” he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “that Freddie was mine. But after years of people saying he didn’t look much like me, I asked for a paternity test and the results were, well, they said I’m not his dad.” He hated lying about Freddie. He just wanted to have a kid with Harry, not pretend that someone else’s kid was his with a girl he barely even knew. Even after years of that stunt, he didn’t bother to learn anything about Briana because he simply didn’t care. She made his life a living hell.

“That’s crazy. Did Briana know about this?”

“No, she thought Freddie was mine, too. We hadn’t exercised any other possibility really.”

“Onto a more exciting topic, it’s been two years in the making, but you’ve finally come out with your solo album and, may I just say, it’s amazing.”

“Thank you.”

“There are 18 tracks on the album, and they’re all wonderful, but a couple are deeper than others, aren’t they?”

“They are. I spent a lot of time writing each song and making each one personal, but I definitely focused more on Always You. That one’s kind of like a confession to the world. It’s like I’m just making sure everyone knows the truth. About everything.”

“A lot of people think the line ‘Might’ve made me love her, but it was always you’ means you and your long-time girlfriend Eleanor Calder might have broken up and that something was going on either on the side or with your team and your ability to do what you want. Basically, they’re wondering if that relationship is fake.”

And now for the interesting part. “Erm, uh, it’s just… Yes, Eleanor and I broke up.”

“But you supposedly wrote Always You over a year ago. And you’ve been seen with Eleanor multiple times since then.”

“That I have. Um, listen, it’s a bit complicated, just like everything with Freddie. There was a time that I realised I loved someone who wasn’t my girlfriend, and that was a difficult time for me,” he said maybe a bit too harsh.

“Right. Without any further ado, why don’t we listen to the wonderful album by Mr. Louis Tomlinson, Always You.”

As soon as the interviewer switched off the mic, Louis pulled off his headphones and left the room faster than his 5’8” body could carry him.

<•>


	8. the song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> double update because i wanted to make it up to you guys for waiting so long
> 
> also, any lyrics for their "new" songs in this story are written by me

7

TIME SKIP  
MARCH 2020

 

“Alright, cut that beat out. It just runs over the original.”

“Lima, I think I know what I’m doing here. Why don’t we use the beat that’s on top as the main line. Take the original out for a second.” Liam sighed and did what Louis told him to. “Okay now hit play and just listen to it.”

Liam had to admit, the vocals worked perfectly weird with that drum beat. It was off in a pleasing way. “Damn. You were right.”

Louis pat him on the back as he walked off. “I’m usually right, Payno.”

“Are those nicknames ever going to stop?”

“Nope!” he shouted from just outside the door to the studio.

Liam groaned loudly, frustrated with another song he was working on, when Zayn walked in. “Liam, you alright?”

He jumped. “What? Yeah, yeah, everything’s good.”

“D’you need help with anything?”

“No, no, I’m fine,” Liam shook his head.

“You’re repeating words. Something’s wrong. You never do that.”

Liam blushed. Zayn knew him insanely well. “Just having some trouble with the lyrics on this one.” He handed his notebook over to Zayn.

Zayn seemed to have already come up with a beat for the song, as he was bopping his head and tapping his foot. “I’ve got an idea.”

Liam looked into Zayn’s eyes and away from his lips. “Yeah?”

“Do you remember what we used to do when we’d write songs together?”

“Yeah. Fuck, are you serious?” he whined.

A grin spread across Zayn’s face. “One hundred percent.”

<•>

“I don’t see how this is helping, Z.”

“Z.”

“Zayn, did you leave me here again?”

“No, sorry, can’t stop laughing,” Zayn said between quiet giggles.

“At me?”

“Liam, why didn’t you tell me you got a slag tag?”

His face went red again and he ignored the question. “This is bullshit. Why are we even doing this?”

“Will you just turn around? It’s not gonna work if I’m just staring at your ass and the fucking heart right above it.”

Liam huffed and spun around slowly on the rope he was hanging from. He was met with a grinning Zayn who was upside down just like him. They were hanging by their feet from the ceiling of a gymnasium with their heads almost touching the mats below them. “I still don’t like this.”

“You liked it when we were 20.”

“Yeah, because I was younger and didn’t care about the blood rushing to my head. Now I do.”

“How about we just get started, alright?”

“Fine. Read the first lyric.”

“Meeting strangers every night.”

Zayn used both hands to spin Liam around a few times. “In the same bed a couple times?” he asked.

“Good. My turn.”

The rules of what they were doing were simple. One person would read a lyric of the song they were struggling with and the other would say the first thing that popped into their head after being spun around to the point of dizziness. Zayn had come up with it a long time ago, and he used to say being upside down not only filled their heads with blood, but also with things they normally wouldn’t think of. It was stupid, but Liam would do anything for Zayn.

“My friends say I’ve gotta slow it down.”

“But the drinks tell me ‘speed it up’.”

“Fuck, that’s good,” Liam chuckled. “This might actually be working.”

“Told you. Okay, the next one is ‘Colors on the ceiling’.”

“Um, ‘Make me feel sober again’.”

“So this album is probably going to wind up explicit, especially with Louis and Harry’s song about fucking.”

Liam snorted. “Yeah, they spent like one day on it, but I doubt it took a whole day since they looked so wrecked when they came out of the studio.”

“Hey, they got inspired.”

“Jesus, Zayn.”

“You ready for some more writing?”

“Yeah.”

<•>


	9. the boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An update for Harry's 25th birthday!

8  
JUNE 2020

 

THE SUN ARTICLE:  
HARRY STYLES IS GAY???

Just this afternoon, a source revealed some very interesting information to us about the former boyband member. “Harry’s currently the best he’s ever been. He’s been in a relationship for quite a while now and they’re both very happy together.” When asked who this person is, the source responded with, “They’re pretty private, especially since Harry’s partner isn’t out to the public yet.”

This leaves us to wonder who he could possibly be dating and why we didn’t know about his sexuality before!

Harry Styles also has not been seen out in the public for a while. After his world tour ended in winter, he went MIA, as the fans like to say. This seems to be similar to what he did in 2018-2019 in the lead up to his second album. Maybe we’re about to get a third? Who knows!

 

“Oh my god, this is bullshit! I can’t fucking believe that piece of shit, Wootton,” Louis groaned.

“Lou, it’s fine. The real fans know not to trust The Sun, so it’ll be okay.”

“But he fucking said he didn’t know about your sexuality, when you’ve talked about it multiple times. Piece of shit,” he mumbled.

“Louis, all that matters is that the world knows now. Anyone who believes in us knows that the person I’m dating is you. Hell, I’m engaged to you.”

“Yeah, but we’ve been engaged for a year and a half all because of the stupid contract. Haz, I would’ve married you nine years ago.”

“I know, but we decided a long time ago that we wanted a public wedding, that once we were married, we would be out.”

“It’s just taking so long. And I can’t even come out until December. I miss the days when we could just be in the same fucking room.”

“I know. But at least we’re almost there. And then we can sit next to each other as much as we want.”

<•>

“Okay, so we need lyrics on Running On Empty, Independent, and Nowhere. We need a bass line on Every Night. And then Drunk Tears still needs part of a melody. Then I think the album’s done!”

“Fuck yeah!” Niall shouted.

“Okay, it’s not done yet, Ni, so calm down,” Liam chuckled.

“We haven’t recorded together in years and it’s only taken two months to record this one. I can be excited.”

“But we also haven’t even announced that we’re back together, so it’ll be awhile before we can release it.”

Louis huffed, “Why do you gotta ruin the fun, Payno?”

“Wait, I have a question,” Harry interrupted. “What’s stopping us from announcing it now? I mean, our new management is basically just waiting for us. As long as we don’t reveal anything that our old contract restricts, we could do it right now.”

“What would we even say?” Zayn asked, twirling a pencil in his fingers.

“Well, we probably couldn’t individually tweet anything out, but we could on the official account.”

“Okay, so let’s write something about the 10 year anniversary of us getting together,” Niall said, getting up from his seat on the floor.

“‘Big surprise #10’?” Zayn suggested.

“Too vague.”

“‘We’re back on our tenth anniversary,’” Liam tried.

“Too stiff.”

Harry squinted. “10’s gonna be a big one?”

“Maybe.”

A lightbulb went off in Louis’ head. “What about,” and he told them.

Their eyes all lit up like stars. It was perfect. So at 10:56 am, it went out.

 

**Haven't seen you all in a while. Mark your calendars for our tenth birthday. We promise not to disappoint.**


	10. the recording

JULY 2020

 

“And a 1, 2, 3, 4,” Liam said, putting his headphones on.

“Sleeping on the wrong side of the bed when you’re gone. I’m not gonna make it very long without you,” they all sang. It was part of the chorus for a new song.

When Louis started singing his part, Harry got this huge stupid grin on his face. “I’m crying for you, baby, please. I miss you more than anything.” So he missed his cue to join in.

“Fuck, sorry guys. Lost in my thoughts again.”

“Don’t you mean,” Niall started, “lost in Louis’ eyes again?”

“Always,” Harry whispered and kissed his fiancé’s forehead.

Louis smiled and pecked Harry’s nose. “Sap.”

“After all these years, you two are still just as disgusting.”

“Can it, Nialler.” Louis cleared his throat and shouted, “Alright, lads!” right in Zayn’s ear.

“Christ, Louis!”

“One more take and then Harold and I are off for date night.”

They wound up sticking around for three more takes because of a knocked over mic (Liam’s fault), some spilled alcohol (Harry’s fault), and some curses from Louis that wound up getting put in the background of the final product. After the final take, the boys all said their goodbyes for the night and agreed to meet up the next morning, and Harry and Louis went off to their date at home.

“No, but hear me out, babe. What would happen if we just walked outside right now. Together.”

“Lou, we’ve talked about this. We can’t until the papers have gone through.”

“That’s the thing, though. The papers have gone through. The only thing stopping us is a minor technicality.”

“You mean the fact that we aren’t supposed to be seen together outside of interviews and the tour until December 31st?”

“Yeah, that. But what if people don’t see us? What if we just go pick up some stuff from the market for dinner instead of ordering some takeaway like we planned? What’s the worst that could happen, baby?”

“Simon could yell at us, and--”

“Exactly. All he can do is yell at us. We don’t really work for him anymore. He can’t make the big decisions. So, let’s go,” Louis whined, dragging Harry back toward their front door.

“Alright, fine, but you’re taking the piss if Simon finds out.”

“Anything for you, darling.” Louis kissed Harry’s cheek and they walked back out the door.

After a few moments of just talking and strolling down the street toward their neighbourhood’s front gate, Harry slipped his hand into Louis’. Louis just smiled and looked down. He knew it wouldn’t take much for his sap of a fiancé to give in.

It took them about ten minutes to reach the market (one of the main reasons why they even bought that house), and when they got there, they both put their sunglasses on. It may have been 7 pm, but they were trying to stay hidden.

But the whole trip may have been a mistake. Because the next day, shit hit the fan.


	11. the meeting

10  
JULY 2020

 

 

**THE SUN: BREAKING NEWS!!! TWO GAY BOY BAND MEMBERS???**

Thursday night, Louis Tomlinson was seen at a marketplace in Los Angeles, where he relocated to earlier this year, holding hands with an unidentified man. Some people are speculating that it’s Harry Styles, his former bandmate who also is confirmed to be dating a man. But they denied those rumours long ago. Is it possible that they changed their minds? Or is this mystery man someone else hiding from the public eye?

**DAILY MAIL: LOUIS TOMLINSON IS GAY??**

**HOLLYWOOD LIFE: LARRY STYLINSON CONFIRMED???**

**INQUIRER: TWO OUT OF FIVE MEMBERS OF ONE DIRECTION ARE GAY!**

 

“I guess it’s damage control time,” Liam sighed. “Couldn’t you guys have just waited until December?”

Harry tsked, “Lou got antsy.”

“Guys, this can’t be any worse than what we used to go through. Simon doesn’t even have control over us anymore,” Niall said, fidgeting slightly.

Zayn mumbled, “Doesn’t mean it won’t still fuck with our heads.”

Harry looked down at his hands and twisted his gold engagement ring nervously. Louis noticed and said, “Baby, it’s gonna be alright. He can’t do anything. You’re gonna be okay. _We’re_ gonna be okay.” He gently rubbed Harry’s shoulder and looked him in the eyes as he said it. Harry just nodded.

“Alright guys, time to go in.”

Simon’s secretary ushered them into the large office that was covered in records by various artists, including One Direction.

“What the hell did you do?” Simon shouted as soon as the door was closed.

Harry flinched and Louis yelled back, “Well, excuse me for wanting to buy groceries with my fucking fiancé!”

“You’re under contract, Louis! You legally aren’t allowed to do that. And you, Harry. I would’ve thought you would be the rational one.”

“Don’t bring him into this,” Louis warned, already seething. “It was my idea. If you’re gonna give anyone shit, it should be me.”

Simon sat in silence for a moment before nodding. “Everyone out save for Louis and Harry.”

The other boys, who had stayed silent, shuffled out, regretfully. They wanted to be there for their band members, but Simon still scared the shit out of them.

They sat outside in the available chairs and attempted to listen to the conversation. There was muffled shouting, that they assumed came from Louis, which was followed by a quieter voice that could’ve belonged to either Harry or Simon, they weren't sure.

“D’you think it’s going to be bad?” Niall asked.

Liam shook his head. “Nah, Lou can hold his own now.”

“Yeah, but what about Harry?”

Neither Zayn or Liam said anything after that. There was no way to tell, really.

The last time they all sat in that office, it was to discuss the hiatus. Harry walked out in tears, Louis with a raging headache, Liam with a red spot on his cheek, Niall with a sore throat, and Zayn… Zayn wasn’t there. He didn’t have to go through that, but he went through worse when he first suggested leaving the band.

The boys were all ripped from their thoughts by the door slamming open and Louis screaming, “Fuck you, Simon! You don’t fucking control us anymore.”

“Get out!”

Louis slammed the door shut again, making the other three and the secretary, who seemed oddly unphased by all this, jump. He sat down in the remaining chair and ran his fingers through his unruly brown hair. None of the others said anything.

Five minutes later, the door opened softly and they all looked up. Harry walked out staring at the floor with his long hair covering most of his face. He only ever did that when he was crying and didn’t want people to know. Simon followed him with a sinister expression on his face. Louis stood up immediately and enveloped Harry in his arms. With one hand he brushed through Harry’s hair and with the other he flipped Simon off. He whispered quietly into Harry’s ear. “Everything’s okay, baby. Everything’s fine. He’s an asshole, don’t listen to him. You’re alright.”

“The contract still stands. None of you are allowed to be seen with each other until the interviews for your inevitable album.”

“What the hell did you say to him?” Louis asked, a red fire in his eyes.

“Nothing, just a few extra rules. If he doesn’t follow them, your contract with me will be extended, and your lives will be hell.”

Zayn rolled his eyes, “More than they already are?”

“I suggest you keep your mouth shut, Zayn.”


	12. the song

11  
JULY 22 2020

 

“You guys ready to pull an all-nighter?”

“Always, Nialler,” Louis replied.

Each member of the band had a specific job that night. Liam was in charge of booze, Harry was doing the cooking, Zayn gathered snacks, Niall made coffee, and Louis got the weed. They planned to party all night long in celebration of their first single all together since 2014. The album was set to be released a couple months after the single.

“How do we feel, lads? Last night of freedom before promo interviews and tabloids.”

“Well, we never really got away from those articles,” Liam remarked.

“True, but this time they won’t be about our sexualities. They’ll be about our music and how we’re trying to make a comeback.”

“Oh, they’ll definitely still talk about our sexualities,” Harry chimed from the kitchen. “Especially since Lou and I will be sitting together again. Hell, we’ve even got interviews lined up that are just us two. That never used to happen. We had that one interview in Paris eight years ago and then it never happened again.”

Liam nodded. “Hopefully they won’t put us with every girl we know anymore. Now that we have our own label and management company, that should be much easier.”

“Boys, this is really happening.” They all took a moment to think about all they’d been through together and apart. They’d done everything together for four years and it was about to happen again. And they couldn’t wait. They had definitely missed it.

“It’s countdown time boys!” Zayn yelled, holding his tablet out in front of him. They all rushed over and huddled up around him. “We’ve got ten seconds!”

Liam climbed over the couch and slid down behind Zayn, making his heart stop. Niall leaned toward the tablet on his knees, wedged between Liam’s leg and Zayn’s, which were crossed. Louis was squished against Liam’s other side with Harry tucked in his lap. For such a tall man, he really could get very small.

“3 seconds.” Zayn’s shaky finger hovered over the button on the screen that would upload it to iTunes, Spotify, and all other music platforms. “Now.” He pressed the glass of the screen and it was up. Their single was finally out.

<•>

**THE SUN: ONE DIRECTION’S NEW SONG IS DRIVING FANS CRAZY!**

Rewritten is the title of the new song by the reunited boyband, One Direction. There was a big shocker for everyone when they heard former member Zayn Malik’s voice on the song. Nobody was expecting it! He hit some crazy high notes that we’re hoping he sings on a tour that will hopefully be announced soon. Nothing but this single has been leaked or announced yet, but we’re all looking forward to the inevitable album following this. It’s going to be epic!

 

“I didn’t know it was possible for The Sun to write a nice article about us. And I’m surprised they even noticed I was singing,” Zayn said, his voice slightly muffled by the muffin in his mouth.

Liam sighed, taking a bite of the muffin after Zayn set it down. “And that article came out crazy fast. Maybe now that a horrible management company isn’t controlling us, they can put out whatever they want whenever they want. But that doesn’t stop it from being annoying.”

“Lads, hurry up and finish your brekkie, we’ve got an interview to do.”


	13. the interview

12  
JULY 23 2020

 

“And today we have the recently reunited boyband, One Direction! Now, boys, we haven’t seen you in a while. What made you decide to end the hiatus?” the radio host asked.

Harry cleared his throat and spoke up. “A couple years ago, we started the process because we all decided we missed the dynamic of the whole group. Zayn here actually made the first move.”

“So did you just regret leaving or what?”

“Yeah, I guess I just started to miss it more and more. I thought I was making the right decision by going it alone, but I wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I love the music I came out with, but I love these boys more.”

“So you’ve started your own label, Direction Studios, which is also apparently your management? And you’ve left Syco and Modest!?”

They all exchanged quick glances before Liam leaned into his mic. “We have a ten-year contract with Syco, all of us save for Zayn. Once it ends, we will leave both. We’ve finalised everything with our new company, so we can release music through that.”

“What made you decide to leave them?”

“We went through some pretty difficult times with Syco and Modest!, so it’s hard to look past that and continue to work with them. We started our company around 2018 and were only able to actually release our music this year.”

“There are a lot of rumours talking about the relationships within the band,” Louis sucked in a breath, “as in your friendships. Back in about 2015, when you guys decided to go on hiatus, many people thought you had all started to hate each other, especially Louis and Harry.”

Louis took that question, shocking everyone. “Yeah, I don’t know where those rumours started. Haz and I are just as close as ever.” He placed his hand on his fiancé’s shoulder and left it there.

“But you guys were ‘shipped’ together, or whatever, right? And that is I think what fueled that, because you shut that down a couple years ago. People have just assumed since then that you were either lying or that you hated each other.”

He sighed, “Some things were screwed up because of some other factors, but no, we’re still really close. Hell, we live together.”

The boys all froze, including Louis. He wasn’t supposed to say that. They weren’t supposed to mention anything that eluded to their relationship until 2021.

“Oh, okay, well I’m glad you guys are all still friends. Now, what about this new song? Let’s take a listen. We’ll be right back with One Direction after their new song, Rewritten.” The guy took his headphones off and immediately left the room while the other five let out a huge breath they were holding.

Zayn cleared his throat. “Alright, which one of us is gonna check Twitter? People are bound to have already talked about it.”

“I’m checking Tumblr,” Harry said. The other boys pulled out their phones and checked as much social media as they could in the short time frame.

Fans were already going crazy. The rumours about Harry’s secret Tumblr had been going wild lately, so this wasn’t helping. Anyone could see that Harry was online, they just had to connect the dots. And the fans had already narrowed it down to ten blogs, which Harry’s was included in, but he decided not to worry about it. He was almost never on anyway.

Before they knew it, the radio host was back. “Alright guys, that was Rewritten, the new song by One Direction, which already has 30 million views on youtube, wow! So, boys, what was the inspiration for this song?”

“Erm, this was actually the first song we wrote for the new album, so we wanted it to be the single. It’s just about us trying to rewrite our stories, since people have them a bit messed up.” Niall leaned back and screwed with his hair for a second before Liam fixed it.

“An album, huh? When’s that coming out?”

Harry smiled. “August 21st, this year. It’s called Ten, and it has 17 songs.”

“That’s awesome! Is there going to be a tour following this?”

“There is. Tickets won’t be on sale until the week after the album is released, but our first date is New Year’s Eve in Australia. And then we’re going all around the world.”

<•>


	14. the ceremony

13

 

WEDDING PT. 1

“Why don’t we just get married?”

“Lou, we’re engaged. That’s kind of the plan.”

“No, I mean let’s get married soon. On our ten-year anniversary.”

 

SEPTEMBER 28TH 2020

 

*knock knock knock*

“Come in,” Harry said in a sing-song voice.

The door opened and in walked Niall in a plaid suit.

Harry spun around in his chair, making Lottie, who was doing his makeup, huff in frustration. “What do you think?”

Niall smiled, “You look gorgeous, Harry.”

He giggled, “I’ve never felt so pretty, Ni. And I haven’t even got my suit on yet.”

“I haven’t even finished your makeup yet, Harold,” Lottie scoffed. “Let’s cover that part before anything else.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “So, what’s up? I assume you’re here for a reason other than to see what I look like.”

“Right, so everything looks great for the ceremony and reception. Mitch has the rings, Liam’s making sure everyone’s dressed, and Ed’s setting up the stage for the reception right now.”

“So if everything’s good, why’d you come in here?”

“Well,” he sighed, “there’s one more thing. Louis’ right outside the door.”

“What?” Harry screeched. “He can’t see me right now!”

“Doesn’t matter to him. He says you guys have been through so much together already, he doubts one thing is gonna stand in your way.”

Harry groaned. “Alright fine, but he’s not allowed to actually see me.”

<•>

“You can come in now!” Niall shouted.

Louis stepped inside the hotel room in his deep blue Prada suit and did his little face scrunch when he saw the screen blocking him from seeing his soon-to-be husband. “Baby, are you back there?”

“Yeah.”

“I wanna see your suit, love,” he complained.

“You can’t yet. It’s bad luck for us to see each other before the wedding!”

“Okay, so just describe yourself. A mental picture works just as well.”

There was a quiet laugh on the other side of the screen and then Harry said, “Um, my suit’s white, of course. It’s got some lace, and it’s low cut. But I’m not actually wearing it yet. I’m still in my robe.”

“Tell me about your hair and makeup.”

“Lots gave me this pretty pink eyeshadow with a lot of glitter in it. Oh, and she found me this flower crown with cherry blossoms, so I’m wearing that too.”

“Are you wearing lipstick?”

“Um, of course.”

Louis let out a single laugh. “Sounds beautiful. I can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait to see you either. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

<•>

At any other wedding, something would’ve gone wrong. Someone would have gotten cold feet, or some flowers would be missing, but everything went off without a hitch. That was partly because Harry and Louis had a fantastic group of best friends and partly because absolutely nothing, at that point, could keep them from getting married that day. They’d been waiting too long.

Liam and Zayn walked down the aisle arm in arm and separated at the arch, Zayn going to Harry’s side, and Liam standing next to Louis. As soon as he stepped up, Liam asked his best friend, “How nervous are you?”

“The weird thing is, I’m not. You know, I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. I’m just excited.”

They both smiled as the rest of the wedding party, consisting mostly of Louis and Harry’s siblings, walked down. And then everything stopped. Everyone stood up as Here Comes The Bride started playing. Louis’ breath caught in his throat when he saw Harry and his mom, Anne, walk down the aisle. The smile on Harry’s face was the most beautiful Louis had ever seen.

Anne stepped up first and kissed Louis’ cheek then Harry’s, and then she went to her seat.

“Hi,” Harry whispered.

“Hey, gorgeous.”

Niall was about to start his speech but was cut off by Louis. “Um, I’m sorry, can we pause for a second?” he asked. Niall nodded, knowing exactly what was about to happen, unlike all the whispering guests.

Louis closed the space between him and his fiancé and their lips met in a sweet kiss. They were careful not to screw up Harry’s makeup, of course. Lottie had worked really hard on it.

“Alright, we’re good now.”

The guests all chuckled as Niall started talking again. “I don’t know about you guys, but I expected that. And I think it’s about damn time these two got married.” That earned a cheer from everyone. “You guys have prepared your vows, right?”

Harry nodded and reached into his bouquet for a piece of paper. “I knew I’d probably start crying and forget what I want to say, so I wrote it down.” He passed the bouquet to Zayn, who winked at him in encouragement.

“Louis, I love you. I always have. I remember when we first met back in 2009. We were both at the same concert, and I was really nervous because I went alone. You stayed with me all night long. And that was when I first knew I was going to love you for a long time. I’m so happy, and so insanely lucky, that you,” he paused and wiped a tear from his cheek, “that you and I kept in touch, that we both decided to audition for the X Factor, and that we wound up in the same group. Even if none of that had happened, I still believe I would’ve married you. Because you’re the only one for me.”

“Now you’ve got me crying,” Louis complained. “Shoulda done mine first.

“For years, I knew I wanted to be with you forever, but it just kept getting more difficult. Things kept getting in our way. And we always wanted a big wedding, right?” Harry nodded. “Well, baby, we’ve got one.” That earned a laugh. “But for a long time, I wasn’t sure it was going to happen. It got to a point where I was so scared that I pushed you away. And that was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. So, Harry, the love of my life, I promise everything to you. My life, my body, my heart, and my soul. You are my world, always and forever.

At the end of Louis’ vows, they both smiled through their tears. “Oh no, love, your makeup is smudged.” Louis’ hand came up to Harry’s face and carefully dabbed the tears away. They had caused the glitter to run down his cheeks, giving him an ethereal look. “You still look so, so beautiful, though.”

Niall sniffled, notifying everyone that he was crying too. “Alright, do we have the rings?” he asked.

Mitch, Harry’s man of honour, came forward and handed a ring box to each of them.

“So, Haz, I have to confess something. I bought you two rings instead of one.”

Harry’s eyes lit up. “I did the same for you!”

They put the rings on each other’s fingers (Louis had one on each ring finger and Harry switched his engagement ring to his right hand, putting the new ones on his left) and Louis said, “Happy 10th anniversary, baby.”

“Louis Tomlinson, do you take Harry Styles as your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”

“Harry Styles, do you take Louis Tomlinson as--”

“Hell fucking yes I do.”

“Well then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband. Louis, you know what to do.”

Oh yes I do, he thought. Harry knew what was coming, so held the flower crown on his head with one hand as Louis dip-kissed him. It wasn’t much of a kiss though, as they were both grinning so much. When Harry was standing again, they had a real kiss, a powerful kiss. Because they were finally married.

Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part 2 "the reception" coming soon!


	15. the reception

14

WEDDING PT. 2

SEPTEMBER 28TH 2020

 

After almost an hour of wedding photos done by Hélène and Jordan, who were basically members of the family at that point, it was finally time for the reception.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between, for the first time ever, Mr. Louis Tomlinson and Mr. Harry Styles-Tomlinson!” Ed shouted through the microphone from the stage.

The newlyweds walked in hand in hand and took it all in at once. There was a beautiful gold chandelier hanging above the dance floor and candles on all the tables, deep blue tablecloths and fabrics were draped everywhere, a drastic change from the pinks and whites of the ceremony, and all the dishes and embellishments were gold-coloured as well. It was exactly as they had imagined it.

They strolled straight over to the big table where their wedding cake was supposed to be and saw that there were two. Louis smirked at Harry, “So, I got us a 10th anniversary cake, too. I think you’ll like it.” Harry went around to the front of the cake and saw the big “10” on the bottom tier right before he noticed that it said “Still the one” on the top tier. He gasped and hugged Louis tight in response.

“I love it. Thank you.”

That cake was the first to be cut, both of them eating small amounts, as it was a small cake. The second cake was their actual wedding cake and was absolutely huge. It was covered in large blue and gold flowers, which proved to be kind of a problem when it was cut. With this cake, they each took a piece and smashed it in the other’s face (Louis was careful not to mess up Harry’s retouched makeup). As everyone else got their cake, or another dessert, or an actual meal, Louis and Harry decided to go greet all of their guests.

They covered family first, of course. Harry made sure to stop and give Ernest his flower crown. Then they reached the 5 Seconds of Summer boys.

“I’m so glad you guys came!” Louis enveloped them all in a group hug, and Harry joined in.

Luke grinned, “We wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

“Definitely not. And Haz, you look amazing!” Ashton shouted. “Do a spin for us.”

Harry complied, the lace on his suit jacket twirling like a dress would. He giggled when the boys cheered.

Calum turned to Louis. “Lou, honestly, you’ve never looked better. Married life already seems to be treating you well.”

“Oh god, I love that word,” Louis sighed. “‘Married.’”

The boys groaned and Michael spoke up. “Man, I thought you guys were gross before, but now it’s even worse.”

After talking with the rest of their guests, they finally sat down to eat and listen to people’s toasts. Zayn was up first, as Harry’s best man.

“Harry and Louis were always the couple I looked up to. Even during hard times, they found a way to fix it all, because they just love each other _that_ much.” Louis took Harry’s hand in his own and kissed his knuckles. Harry blushed the way he still did after many, many years. “I remember the first time Louis wanted to ask Harry to marry him. It was in 2012, less than three years after they first met. Harry was barely 17 and it was not a smart decision at all. Or at least, that’s what I told him. I told him to wait a few years. They were just so young. And I never once regretted that statement. There’s no doubt in my mind that they would have stayed together had they gotten married years ago, but this is better. Seeing them sitting over there, happier than they’ve ever been, is so much better.”

The married couple were already crying again as Liam stepped up. “I just want to start by saying that I love you guys so much.”

“We love you too,” Louis shouted and Harry chuckled.

“And I want to talk about the bachelor party last night. I had planned a low-key party for Louis because I knew he didn’t want to be hungover at his wedding. But this man right here refused to go. I went up to his hotel room to take him to the party and he told me he’d walk me out. I was really confused and didn’t know what he was talking about, especially since he knew about the party a month ago. So I asked him what he meant. Louis, do you remember what you said?” he asked, laughing.

Louis sighed. “I said, ‘I’m heading over to Haz’s room. I miss him.’”

“They had been apart for two hours at that point. If that doesn’t tell you how much these two are meant for each other, I don’t know what will.”

Mitch stepped up immediately after. “Harry, I only met you four years ago, but I knew you considered me as family after just a few days. We had been in Jamaica for almost a week when he came into my bedroom at the house in the middle of the night. He stood in the doorway and said, ‘Can I sleep in here tonight?’ Of course I said yes, so he sat on the edge of my bed silently and didn’t move, which was really strange. So I asked him what was wrong. He just started sobbing. Loud, awful sobs. And he told me, ‘I just miss Louis so much. I haven’t seen him in so long. It’s been six days!’ So I agree with Liam. You’re meant for each other. And I’m so happy you’re finally married.”

By then, all the guests were crying happily. Niall could barely get through his speech, sniffling every few words. Lottie made a few jokes and told them how much she loved them. Gemma quoted a lot of famous poets and offered to babysit their future kids any time. And then it was time for the first dance.

Louis held his hand out to his new husband, who took it and stood up next to him. The song started to play and Harry was crying all over again. It was, of course, Still The One by Shania Twain, but this time, Ed Sheeran was singing it up on the stage. “You know I love you, right?” Louis asked, grinning at Harry.

He just rolled his eyes. “Of course. You wouldn’t have married me if you didn’t love me.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Louis spun his surprisingly graceful husband and dipped him, swiftly pulling him up again. “You’re my husband now. We’re married, love. And you know what comes next?”

The biggest grin Louis had ever seen spread across Harry’s face. “Kids,” he whispered.

Louis nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. Kids. Little ones of our own running around our house.”

“You mean that?”

“‘Course I do, babe. Trust me, I wouldn’t say something like that, especially to you, if I didn’t mean it. I want us to have kids. Together.”

Harry let out a small laugh and kissed Louis straight on the mouth. “I love you so much. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“You ever think we’ll get something like that?” Zayn asked Liam at their table.

“Who does? Louis and Harry got this magical love story. I think it’s pretty impossible to replicate it.”

“Li, will you dance with me?”

His heart stopped. “Y-Yeah, I’d love to.” Liam let himself be pulled to his feet by Zayn, stumbling a bit before his hand was in Zayn’s and they were dancing to a love song. Liam got lost in Zayn’s eyes and almost forgot where he was until he was brought back to reality by the other’s voice.

“Li, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Yeah?”

“I, um, I like you.”

Liam wouldn’t get his hopes up. He couldn’t let that happen. Zayn could just be messing with him. “Well, I should hope you like me. We’re best friends.”

Zayn shook his head. “No, you idiot.” He sighed and took Liam’s face in his hands, kissing him.

When he pulled away, Liam stood there in shock and then came to his senses. They kissed as passionately as was reasonable on a wedding reception dance floor. “I like you too. Have for years.”

“So now do you think we can have our magical love story?”

“Yes. Hell yes.”

<•>


	16. epilogue

EPILOGUE  
JANUARY 1 2021

 

**THE SUN: NEW ONE DIRECTION EXPOSÉ!**

Last night marked the first date on One Direction’s reunion tour, titled “The Independent Tour” after the second single on their new album, TEN. And it was eventful for way more than just that reason.

After almost ten years of denial, Larry Stylinson, what we thought was a fan-made ship, was confirmed. And not only that, Louis and Harry are married!

See: **A HISTORY OF LARRY STYLINSON**

We’re currently unsure why they kept it a secret and lied about it for so long, but it seems the fans are content with just this information right now.

They announced their relationship by showing the video of their wedding ceremony to the entire audience. It has been confirmed by an inside source that the video will be released to the public soon. There are illegal copies out on the internet that are hopefully being taken down, as the boys have already voiced their disgust of that practice.

To add even more shock, the One Direction boys confirmed something else that no one was expecting. Apparently, for a couple months, Zayn Malik and Liam Payne have been in an exclusive relationship. Some fans shipped them together as well, but it was never taken as seriously as Larry was.

To top things off, Niall Horan announced his engagement to his boyfriend of two years, Shawn Mendes.

More to be added later, as we’re still gathering information on all these secret love stories!

 

**DAILY MAIL: IS EVERY MEMBER OF ONE DIRECTION GAY?**

Larry Stylinson, the ship name of Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson of the boy band One Direction, has been confirmed and fans are freaking out. Just recently, Harry was confirmed to be in a relationship with a man, and Louis was spotted out holding hands with one, so we can assume that these two situations are related.

But they aren’t the only members of the band in relationships. Niall Horan not-so-subtly confirmed that his bromance with singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes is actually a romance a month ago in the form of some paparazzi pictures of the two of them kissing outside of a coffee shop. Last night, he also confirmed that he and Shawn would be getting married some time in the future.

And we’re still not done! Zayn Malik, who left the band in 2015 but returned in 2020, announced that he and fellow band member Liam Payne were also dating, and that it was still a very new relationship.

Fans everywhere are left to wonder if all members of One Direction are gay, as only one of them has spoken out about his sexuality at all. And were all those relationships with women fake? The band has yet to respond to the rumours, but their representative has stated, “The boys were in a tough situation for years. Things were kept from the public in ways that were unsavory, but they’re away from that life now, which is what matters.”

 

 

 

The End

 

... or is it????

 

it is. <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys for sticking around till the very end! i hope you liked the tiny bit of Shiall in this chapter!


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